Promise
by xCecilex
Summary: Takes place after the confrontation with Seimei. RitsukaxSoubi. Ritsuka's upset about something and doesn't want to tell Soubi. Short and fluff. Ritsuka tells Soubi the one thing that man so wants to here, but not in so many words.


**Author's Note: For any _Always _readers here, I haven't forgotten about it. It just isn't cooperating with me. The reviews were down, and this chapter is kicking my butt. I'm trying to at least get something down, just write and not worry about how much it sucks, but it isn't working. Anyway, please read and review this everyone!!**

**Promise**

"Soubi?"

The blonde twenty-year-old lifted his eyes from his college textbook to look over at the twelve-year-old seated across the room from him at his computer desk. "Yes, Ritsuka?" he asked quietly, voice deep and musical to the pre-teen's ears. Soubi glanced back down quickly at his book on art history, marking his place with his fingers, assuming the boy would continue with whatever he wanted. Ritsuka remained silent, staring down at his lap as he swiveled around so his chair was facing the adult.

Not receiving an immediate answer, Soubi looked more closely at the still figure that had so quickly become the center of his universe. Ritsuka's silky feline ears were dropped forward slightly; his dark tail twined around his thigh, something that Soubi knew Ritsuka did when anything was bothering him. Soubi couldn't see the young neko's amethyst eyes, but could see the dark brows knitted together in a frown and the temporary wrinkles on his forehead. His hands were balled into fists at his ribs, arms crossed over his chest.

"Ritsuka?"

Soubi didn't try to mask the concern in his voice at seeing Ritsuka so quiet and sad after the exuberant hours spent with Yukoi, Yayoi, and Kio earlier in the day. Ritsuka had laughed, cheered, and yelled along with his friends as they ran around the park like a bunch of five-year-olds with Soubi and Kio occasionally jumping in, but Kio had preferred to spend those two hours questioning Soubi on why he was so devoted to three elementary school students. Soubi had brushed off most of his questions, simply telling him that the other two made Ritsuka happy, so it was all worth it. Kio had called him a pervert and finally dropped it as they went to join the kids on the playground.

Ritsuka was still silent across the room, still staring down at his lap. The dark-haired child blinked furiously, fighting against the stinging in his eyes, nose, and throat. _I can't cry. Only babies cry. I don't even know what's wrong. Wait, no that's incorrect. I know what's wrong; Seimei betrayed me. Seimei abandoned me. He left me here to rot with our abusive mother._

Soubi didn't miss Ritsuka quickly swiping a hand across his face before replacing it snugly against his chest. Frowning in worry and concern, Soubi quietly stood up and closed the distance between them in only a couple of long strides. Kneeling in front of the child, he called for him again,

"Ritsuka?" Soubi bit back a huff of frustration. The sixth-grader had only tucked his head further down, refusing to meet the concerned eyes of the man now sitting in front of him. "Tell me what's wrong." It wasn't a demand, but a pleading request. Raven locks flopped back and forth in rhythm with Ritsuka's headshake. Ritsuka's hand quickly swiped across his face again. There could be a number of things bothering the almost teenager—Seimei's faked death, Seimei's betrayal, his mother's abuse, his lack of memories, or even something concerned the man himself.

It had been a month since their trip to Seven Moons Academy ,the "family reunion," and Seimei's consequent disappearance from their lives. Again. The disappearance wasn't something that had surprised either of them, but had hurt Ritsuka all over again. Seimei had sent a letter to Ritsuka a week and a half later. Soubi knew Seimei thought he was being nice to Ritsuka by keeping in touch, but it had only brought back all the hurt feelings and doubts. Seimei did Ritsuka no good if he wasn't there in the flesh, holding him, protecting him.

Ritsuka's soft utterance pulled Soubi out of his revere. He rubbed the soft fur on Ritsuka's tail, slowing moving his hand down then back up, then putting the ruffled fur back in place. "Seimei _called _today?" Soubi questioned. Ritsuka nodded miserably.

"He said he wasn't coming home like he thought he might. He said it was too hard, and I wouldn't understand his reasons. He told me he loved me. He said he was going to call again next week, but on my cell phone."

Soubi's hand stilled on Ritsuka's tail for less than a second, but Ritsuka noticed. He could see the hard set of the man's jaw, felt him tense, saw his eyes darken and his other fist clench. "I'd rather him call every week and have it…hurt," Ritsuka stumbled around the word, "than not hear from him at all and wonder if he even remembers I'm alive."

The blonde unclenched his fist and hesitatingly raised his hand to the boy's cheek, waiting for Ritsuka to meet his eyes. The soft, satiny skin was so close. Soubi only had to twitch his fingers to make the flesh meet. Every inch of him ached to comfort the upset child in front of him, to just hold him and let him know that he wasn't alone. Ritsuka would probably just fight against him and order him to leave if he acted on his every whim and desire.

Soubi had been so intent on scrutinizing Ritsuka's posture—slumped shoulders, twined tail, limp, dangling ears, head slightly bowed—he nearly jumped when Ritsuka leaned his head less than half an inch over, resting his check against Soubi's curved, waiting fingers.

Ritsuka's cheek was flawless, smooth, and satin under his fingers. Soubi's muscles relaxed in one big _whoosh. _Soubi stilled his hand, simply cupping the twelve-year-old's cheek, marveling at the warm feeling spreading through his body. He never would've guessed that something so warm and loving could exist within him while absolute cold and anguish continued ravaging his body. Ritsuka rarely initiated any sort of physical contact between them, even when something was bothering him. The fact that Ritsuka was now saddened and angered the man. Seimei calling had upset the young neko more than he was letting on.

Ritsuka's eyes were closed, brows knitted together over his milky skin. He didn't open his eyes as he began to speak. "He said the same thing again. He wants me go with him somewhere, he refused to tell me where, after he's killed you. He said that's the only way for us to be together." Ritsuka laughed softly, humorlessly. "Murder is the only way. Either way I loose someone that I love. I hurt no matter what I do."

Soubi knew Ritsuka was talking more to himself than him at the very end, but he couldn't stop his heart from nearly exploding.

'"_Either way I loose someone that I love.'"_

Soubi moved his thumb in a circle, brushing Ritsuka's jaw line before ending in his original position and starting the circuit all over again. Soubi felt more than heard Ritsuka sigh, his shoulders straighten barely, and his head lift marginally against his hand.

"I can't just leave you, Soubi. I can't let Seimei kill you. It's wrong. No one deserves to die just because someone else said so, especially when nothing wrong was done, especially when it's you. I need you. I can't leave my life here. I can't just pick and go no matter how much I love him." Ritsuka finally opened his eyes, amethyst meeting azure, pain racing around the edges. "I don't know what I want to do about Seimei. I want, I _need _him to call every week, but at the same time I almost wish he wouldn't talk to me ever again. I wouldn't have to worry about what more he's going to ask me to do. I wouldn't have to worry about convincing him why it's wrong to kill another living, human being. I want _my _brother back. The brother that I remember, that one that loved me and protected me, not this sadistic person who speaks so casually of murder."

Soubi physically flinched at the pain and desperation in his love's voice. He wanted to do something, anything, to try to alleviate part of the pain, but he knew there was nothing to be done. He couldn't give Ritsuka his brother—his ignorance of the other side of his brother's personality—back to him. It seemed Seimei was lost to him forever, just as he would have been if he had truly died.

Ritsuka briefly closed his eyes before staring back at Soubi, placing his smaller hand on top of Soubi's on his cheek, leaning even more against him. "There's no way to get that back though. Even when I did have him here with me, stopping Mom, loving me, he was still being mean and horrible. I just didn't know about it," he spoke, unknowingly echoing Soubi's thoughts.

The couple stayed quiet, simply staring at each other as Ritsuka pulled Soubi's hand off his cheek and held it in front of him. Soubi let his hand be limp, waiting for Ritsuka to decide what he was going to do. He expected the raven-haired child to compare their hand sizes, or trace his fingers, his veins, anything except what he did.

Ritsuka hesitated for a second, and then slowly brought Soubi's palm to his lips, never taking his gaze off Soubi. The man couldn't decipher the look there. There was lingering pain from his brother's phone call and their previous conversation, but there was something more, something new. Soubi could only stare with bated breath, afraid to even move too much. With the briefest pause, Ritsuka closed the distance between his lips and Soubi's palm, planting a light kiss in the exact center of the lined hand in front of him.

'"_Either way I loose someone I love.'"_

Soubi opened his mouth though he had no idea what he planned on saying. Ritsuka slowly shook his head, pulling back and slipping off the swivel chair, landing imperfectly against Soubi's chest and thighs. Soubi fluidly uncurled his legs, bending them at the knees creating a space for Ritsuka to sit on his own knees. Ritsuka settled himself, still holding Soubi's hand, tracing the spot where his lips had touched. A silent minute paused before Ritsuka mustered up the confidence and determination to ask his question.

"Soubi, can you promise me, and mean it, that you won't ever willingly leave me? I mean," he hurried on, a blush creeping over his cheeks, neck, and ears, "I know everyone dies, and then you'll leave, but just-"

Ritsuka forgot about the rest of his argument, his doubts, and his fears as Soubi's impossibly warm lips captured his own smaller pair. Soubi could almost feel the heat of the blush on the child's face.

Soubi pressed harder against the soft lips, still against his own, for the briefest second before pulling back, a crooked smile stretched across his face. Ritsuka was now looking down, a deep blush across his face.

'"_Either way I loose someone I love.'"_

"Ritsuka, I promise I will never leave you," he said sincerely, honestly. There was no need to joke about death. Ritsuka knew exactly what he meant. "Look at me, Ritsuka," he quietly pleaded. The blushing boy raised his head, eyes bright, afraid to believe the words coming from the man's mouth yet wanting with all his heart _to _believe them. "I _swear _I will never leave you. As long as you want me, I'm here."

Ritsuka stared at him for a second, weighing the weight of his words, before nodding once, resting his head against Soubi's chest, eyes sliding closed again. Soubi could only smile down at the dark head nestled against him, knowing finally that Ritsuka had truly and completely believed his promise of staying, believed his promise of love.


End file.
